More than 20,000 gangs consisting of approximately 1 million
members exist in the United States; gangs are present in all 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. The 2007 NDTS and current law
enforcement reporting reveal that more than 20,000 gangs are active throughout
the United States. Moreover, 2007 NDTS and law enforcement data indicate that at
least 780,000 members of street and prison gangs currently reside within
communities across the country and at least another 123,000 documented members
are incarcerated in state correctional facilities4 (see
Appendix A, Scope and
Methodology). The 2007 NDTS data further reveal that at least 30,000 OMG members
operate in communities throughout the country (See Appendix E, Maps 2,
3, and
5). Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) tracks Security Threat
Groups, defined as groups, gangs, or inmate organizations that have been
observed acting in concert to promote violence, escape, and drug or terrorist
activity. As of March 2008, 20,811 individual inmates in BOP custody have been
identified as being affiliated with a Security Threat Group.

Many suburban areas face gang-related problems similar to those occurring in
urban areas. Suburban communities throughout the nation are encountering
gang-related problems, once largely confined to large cities. Data from the 2007 NDTS indicates that of the 3,054 law enforcement agencies responding to the
survey, 585 were from suburban areas reporting gang activity. Of these agencies,
506 estimated that between 1 and 500 gang members were active in their areas;
the remaining 79 reported that 501 or more gang members were active in their
jurisdictions. Additionally, 2007 NDTS and local law enforcement data reveal
that in 21 of these 79 suburban communities, gangs pose a serious threat (see
Appendix D). Many of these suburban gangs are
strongly influenced by gangs based in urban areas. For instance:

Chicago-based
gangs maintain connections to and influence over gangs in outlying suburban
communities (See Appendix E, Map 6). An estimated 70 to 75 gangs with more than
100,000 members reportedly operate within Chicago and have consistently been a
concern for law enforcement. In recent years the Chicago Police Department (PD),
with assistance from federal and state agencies, has focused its efforts on
reducing gang-related crime, which is estimated to account for 70 percent of all
crime in the city. The Chicago PD has focused on disrupting 21 gangs it
considers to be the greatest threat to the city because of the gangs' large
membership, highly organized structure, and violent propensities. The Chicago PD's efforts have resulted in the arrest of many gang leaders and a reduction in
violent crime. However, these law enforcement actions have caused gang members
to become increasingly mobile, moving freely back and forth between Chicago and
suburban communities. Gang movement has resulted in the creation of new gangs or
the establishment of new chapters or subsets of the original gangs in suburban
communities.

San Diego-based gangs maintain connections to gangs in outlying
suburban communities (see
Appendix E, Map 7). An estimated 25 to 30 gangs with a
total membership of between 2,000 and 3,000 reportedly operate within San Diego
and the outlying suburban communities in San Diego County. In recent years San
Diego law enforcement officials, with assistance from federal and state
agencies, have focused their efforts on reducing gang-related crime, which is
estimated to account for 50 percent of all crime in San Diego County. Hispanic
gangs dominate the distribution of drugs in suburban and urban communities in
San Diego County. These gangs maintain long-standing associations with the
Mexican Mafia (La Eme) prison gang and major Mexican DTOs, which have resulted
in rising levels of gang sophistication and increasing levels of drug
trafficking in San Diego County. In an effort to counter gang-related crime,
local officials have established multi-agency gang task forces and have adopted
the use of anti-gang injunctions.

Charlotte-based gangs, particularly Hispanic
gangs, have increased in number, sophistication, organization, and mobility (see
Appendix E, Map 8). Gangs in the Charlotte area have become more criminally
active and have expanded their connections with other organized crime entities,
including major DTOs. Law enforcement officials in the Charlotte area report
that approximately 167 gangs with an estimated total membership of between 1,200
and 2,500 members operate within Charlotte and its outlying communities; many
gangs are nationally affiliated. For example, Sureņos gang members from
California have dispatched members to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area to
establish a presence and coordinate gang activities. Moreover, gang members
residing in Charlotte often travel to surrounding suburban communities to engage
in retail-level drug distribution.

End Note

4. The
number of incarcerated prisoners affiliated with gangs is most likely
underestimated, as most state correctional facilities document only gang members
who pose a threat to institutional security. Further, some state correctional
facilities do not collect and/or report on the gang affiliation of inmates.